Crutch-tip.



Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

INVEN TOR 6M 5M E. H. SEIBERT.

CRUTGH TIP.

APyLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 15, 190s.

FIG.1

EDWARD H. SEIBERT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CRUTCH-TIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.-

pplcation filed June 15, 1908. Serial No. 438,672.

To all whom it "may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. SEIBERT, a citizen of the United States,and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in Crutch- Tips, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in crutch tips, and has for itsobject to provide a tip or terminal member for a crutch, having tworesilient members connected by an inflexible member, the faces of theresilient members being separated by an interposed metallicanti-friction member to facilitate the rotation of the lower resilientmember.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3 isa bottom plan view of the same.

As shown in the drawings, I employ a resilient ferruled member 4 adaptedto seat closely upon the lower end of a crutch 5, being provided withthe cylindrical opening 6 for that purpose. A lower resilient member 7is connected to the member 4 by means of the pin 8, which is providedwith the head 9 seated in the opening G in the member 4, and the head 10seated in the circular pocket 1l with which the lower member 7 isprovided.

Surrounding the pin 8 I provide the metallic member 12, preferably ofdisk shape. The function of the metallic member 12 is to prevent theexcessive friction which would otherwise be created between theresilient members 4 and 7 in the use of the crutch tip; it beingnecessary for the resilient member 7 to rotate with reference to themember 4 when placed upon the surface of the licor or street in use.|The base of the terminal 5 of the crutch in use will contact with thehead 9 with which the pin 8 is provided, thus forcing the pin 8 and thelower head 10 downwardly within the pocket 11, but not to an extentwhich will contact with the iioor-or-street surface.

By means of the structure which I have described, the user of the crutchis not subjected to the shock or jar which occurs in the use of thecrutch tip in which metal is permitted to contact with metal, or inwhich lower and upper members are employed which are permitted toocclude with each other; such occlusion creating a high degree offriction where a lower member of rubber or other resilient material ispermitted to contact with an upper memberof like material. The weight ofthe user of the crutch being exerted upon the upper resilient member 4,and the lower member 7 occluding with the oor-or-street surface, whenthe user takes a forward or backward step, a swiveling or rotarymovement occurs between said resilient members, and a high degree offriction is created, proportionate to the weight of the user of thecrutch. To overcome this friction, the metallic member 12 is interposedbetween said resilient members 4 and 7.

Another advantage of the crutch tip of my invention resides in the factthat upon the lower member 7 being worn to a point which will permit thepin head 1() to contact with the floor-or-street surface when the crutchis in use, such lower member 7 is removed by cutting the pin 8,substituting a new member 7, and replacing the pin 8 with its heads 9yand 10 as before. Thus the smaller and cheaper member 7 may be worn outand replaced indefinitely, affording great economy in the use of thecrutch tip.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tohave secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

In a crutch tip, the combination of an upper resilient member providedwith a cylindrical opening adapted to receive the lower terminal of acrutch; a lower resilient member provided with a circular pocket; a pinconnecting said members and having heads seated within the openings insaid members; and a metallic member mounted around said pin and betweenthe adjacent faces of said resilient members, substantially asdescribed. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD H. SEIBERT. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EICKS, VALTER C. STEIN.

